Associations that withdraw their participation are responsible for two types of cancellation fees: Congress cancellation fees and cancellation fees for services contracted from the host institution.

The Congress cancellation fees are in place to cover the costs and financial commitments made by the Federation on behalf of participating associations to organize the event. These commitments include securing venues, reserving accommodations, ensuring accessibility, providing necessary amenities, and more.

Cancellation fees for audio-visual equipment, furnishings, and catering orders for associations are charged separately by the host institution and are not collected by the Federation.

Therefore, these two sets of fees and their respective cancellation terms are determined independently.

The registration fees individuals pay to attend Congress have two components:

• Congress fees, which the Federation uses to deliver Congress, both in terms of the infrastructure and the programming
• Association conference fees, which the Federation collects on behalf of participating associations, and redistributes in their entirety to them after Congress

The cost of organizing Congress is high. When an association’s conference is canceled, the fees incurred reflect the expenses and financial commitments made during the planning of the event. These expenses are not fully covered by the registration fees paid by attendees.  

The Federation plans Congress, arranges venues and activities, and expects a certain number of associations to participate, with each association bringing a certain number of attendees. Services are contracted and resources are allocated based on these attendance projections. If Congress turns out to have fewer in-person participants, the commitments made for a larger event still need to be honoured.

Associations that choose to hold their annual conference at Congress adhere to an agreement with the Federation. The agreement states that if an association withdraws from the event, cancellation fees may apply depending on the timing of the withdrawal. The Federation expect all terms of the agreement to be upheld by both parties, the association and the Federation.

Associations that decided to move their sessions to the Congress Virtual Platform have not been subject to any cancellation fees.

The cancellation policy for the services provided by the host institution is outlined in the AV, furnishings, and catering menus that was distributed in the fall of 2023. These policies and fees are established and enforced by the service provider.

Through Congress, the Federation's role is to bring together a network of universities, colleges, and scholarly associations, and to promote the value of research and education in the humanities and social sciences.  

Our advocacy efforts are focused on highlighting to federal policymakers the significant contributions of our scholars towards addressing complex issues of our time. The Federation does not take positions on labour disputes or other institutional matters  

The Federation’s EDID efforts flow from the guidelines and recommendations included in the Igniting Change report and are guided by the 2024 EDID Action Plan. The Federation does not act as an intermediary between external groups and a member institution.  

The Federation did not intervene in individuals’ choice to cross or to respect picket lines. To address the concerns of participants who did not want to cross picket lines, the Federation offered participating associations the option to move their conferences or a portion of their conferences to the Congress Virtual Platform.

Since our first hybrid Congress in 2023, participants have been able to attend sessions in both formats and are encouraged to participate in their preferred mode of attendance.  

Individual refund deadlines are set to account for the costs associated with organizing Congress. The Federation announced that Congress would proceed only if it was safe and accessible to do so. Ensuring the security and safety of our participants is our responsibility. We had a strong contingency plan in place and were prepared to make necessary decisions if needed.

Programming and events were available both on campus and online. The Federation provided spaces for meeting and discussion for those who wanted to participate in person, and also offered the means to take part in much of the Congress programming for those who chose to attend virtually.

As a Federation, we have a responsibility to our community to ensure the sustainability of Congress for the future of our disciplines. Organizing Congress takes several years. We have financial commitments and contractual obligations with various parties, and logistical imperatives that make it impossible for us to change plans six weeks before the event. If we had cancelled, the financial and community impact would have put future Congresses at risk.

More importantly, Congress is a vital gathering for our community, especially for the next generation of students and scholars who rely on Congress to promote and advance their research. These contributions are the result of many months of work, culminating in their presentation at Congress. We play an important role in promoting this research to policymakers and the public.

Our decision to hold this Congress was aimed at fulfilling our mission of advocating the importance and impact of our disciplines in addressing societal challenges.

The Federation does not act as an intermediary or take sides. McGill is a member of the Federation, as are the participating associations. We aimed to honour our partnership with McGill while also providing support to associations during this challenging time and honouring our commitments to them.

Our relationship with our member associations is very important to us, and we are aware that the changes of recent weeks have resulted in additional expenses for many associations. We have committed that once Congress has concluded, we will examine the possibility of providing financial support to associations. We will get back to associations very soon with all the details.

Labour disputes and student protests are part of academic life, and we cannot predict when and where the next disruption will be. We are currently reviewing the terms of participation in Congress and will be inviting all associations to take part in a dialogue around rethinking the future of Congress. Together, we will ensure that this annual gathering reflects our community and brings us all together. 

The Federation collects associations’ conference revenue on behalf of participating associations and redistributes it in its entirety to them after Congress. The Federation does not refund Congress 2024 registrations to attendees past the April 15 refund deadline. However, in the next few weeks, we will examine the possibility of providing financial support to associations to help them recover the costs of making alternate plans, and/or refund their attendees, should they choose to do so. The Federation’s decision will be shared with associations in August 2024. 

The exhibitors at Expo were encouraged to proceed with their plans to showcase their books and services as long as they felt comfortable doing so. However, through our discussions, most exhibitors decided to withdraw their onsite activities and with no viable virtual alternative, it became evident that the Expo had to be suspended for Congress 2024.  

Following this decision, we have been in communication with Congress 2024 exhibitors to discuss this outcome and explore means to support their participation at Congress 2025. 

The Federation can confirm participation for the Congress Graduate Merit Award either through a badge collected on site or for those participants who did not want to attend on McGill’s campus, via login records for the Congress Virtual Platform. We will be in touch with associations if we are unable to confirm attendance through these options.  

The Child and Dependent Care Subsidy requires that recipients were presenters at Congress and can provide receipts for care costs incurred. This fund has always been inclusive of presenters attending on site and remotely. If a recipient can demonstrate that they presented at your conference and provides childcare receipts, they will receive their funding. 

The deadline to opt-in deadline for Congress 2025 is Friday, September 6. This date was selected as we understand associations need time to review and discuss participation with their members. It also recognizes that some associations may want to await the decision on financial redistribution of Congress 2024 funds expected in August before confirming their participation in Congress 2025.

The opt-in form will include a revised participation agreement and cancellation clause for associations to review before opting in. Revisions are based on feedback received. 

No. associations can choose not to hold their conference at Congress. Your association can elect to participate in Congress every year, every other year, or not at all and will remain a member in good standing as long as it pays its annual membership fees with the Federation. 

Membership with the Federation includes much more than Congress. More information is available at www.federationhss.ca/membership/value-proposition.  

Already, George Brown College has demonstrated its aptitude for being an engaged, proud, and supportive host. Congress 2025’s Academic Convenor Margrit Talpalaru, Professor of English and Communications, will play an instrumental role in helping develop the programming and context for this year’s Congress. Faculty and students from across the college’s academic centres and schools will actively engage with participating associations and attendees, holding key roles throughout the planning cycle through to hosting the event.

Bridging the gap between colleges and universities requires collaboration across the academic ecosystem, and we look forward to the leading role our 2025 host will play in this endeavour.

Associations may choose to secure their own LAC or – if they cannot identify one at George Brown College – be assigned one by George Brown College, at their discretion. GBC’s LACs will work closely with each association’s Program Chair (PC). Through their experience being on the ground and having pre-existing relationships with the various departments involved in Congress, these LACs will be best positioned to coordinate association’s room bookings, as well as AV, catering and furnishing orders.  

Congress 2025 promises to be a real partnership with George Brown College. Should associations choose to opt-in, they can expect to experience many aspects of Congress that they may have missed in 2024. This includes President’s Receptions, the Congress Expo, programming planned and held by the host institution, centralized IT support and more. George Brown College will also be the first institution to provide logistical assistance through assigned Local Arrangement Coordinators (LACs) to associations, upon request.

The Federation is committed to ensuring that the following will be available for association conferences to benefit from:

• A robust custom-built conference planning cycle;
• A dedicated team of planning professionals to support you;
• Comprehensive resources, clinics and checkpoint meetings;
• Funding opportunities for their events, and their members;
• Support, tips and discounts for your conference’s attendees via our comprehensive communications.